Nearly two-thirds NY area gasoline stations still shut: AAA

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly two-thirds of all the service stations in New York City and New Jersey remain shut, due mostly to a lack of power following Hurricane Sandy, the AAA said on Friday in data that showed little improvement from a day ago.

The organization said that although average gasoline prices in the area had risen by just about 1 cent versus Thursday, compared with a nationwide price drop of about 1 cent, prices had risen by an average of about 5 cents on Long Island, where only 30 to 35 percent of all service stations were operating.

"The primary issue faced by motorists is not a lack of supply - rather it is a lack of electricity to pump gasoline into tanks," a AAA spokesman said in an email. "AAA expects that long lines and supply issues will diminish once power is restored to the region in the coming days."